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Within government contracting offices, a complex, high-dollar federal contract can take well over a year to award. The same requirement, run as an Other Transaction (OT) under the Other Transaction Authority (OTA), can come together in a fraction of the time. That speed, and the flexibility behind it, is why OTs / OTAs have become one of the fastest-growing tools in federal acquisition.
The course begins with fundamentals: what an OT is — a non-FAR instrument built for speed, flexibility, and access to companies that don't otherwise work with the government — and what "non-FAR" actually means in practice, including the rules that still apply. Students learn the statutory authorities and the OT types they support (research, prototype, follow-on production, and facility construction), which agencies hold them, and how to recognize when an OT is the right tool for a requirement — and when it isn't.
The course then covers execution: statutory conditions and approval thresholds; the circumstances and path that can lead to a noncompetitive follow-on award; the consortium model used for many prototype OTs; the Agreements Officer and AOR roles; negotiating IP and data rights; and the judgment call of borrowing FAR/DFARS language into a non-FAR instrument.
This course is taught by Melinda Milheim, JD, who spent her federal career in the acquisition workforce. She served as a Contract Specialist, COR, and AOR for the U.S. Navy (and later a Contract Specialist for the Department of Health and Human Services / Indian Health Service), where she worked on more than $7.7 billion in federal contracts across major weapon-systems, RDT&E, IT, construction, OT/OTAs, and engineering contracts/agreements — including a tour on the Boeing F/A-18 and EA-18G Growler IPT. She draws on that experience, along with her law degree and MBA studies, to teach the why behind the how — so participants leave with sharper judgment, not just a stack of slides. An award-winning DAU/WarU (DAWIA and FAI) instructor, she has taught more than 1,000 federal acquisition workforce students across 20-plus agencies.
Best for:This course is for government and industry professionals who want to understand OTs / OTAs: what they are, when to use them, how they work, and how to use them well.
Format: Available as a one-day (8 CLPs/0.8 CEU, delivered in person or virtually. Phoenix Canyon issues every attendee a certificate of completion documenting the number of training hours as well as CEUs and CLPs earned, which eligible attendees may apply toward Continuous Learning or Professional Development requirements at their organization’s discretion. Phoenix Canyon is a DAU/WarU equivalent course provider.
Within government contracting offices, a complex, high-dollar federal contract can take well over a year to award. The same requirement, run as an Other Transaction (OT) under the Other Transaction Authority (OTA), can come together in a fraction of the time. That speed, and the flexibility behind it, is why OTs / OTAs have become one of the fastest-growing tools in federal acquisition.
The course begins with fundamentals: what an OT is — a non-FAR instrument built for speed, flexibility, and access to companies that don't otherwise work with the government — and what "non-FAR" actually means in practice, including the rules that still apply. Students learn the statutory authorities and the OT types they support (research, prototype, follow-on production, and facility construction), which agencies hold them, and how to recognize when an OT is the right tool for a requirement — and when it isn't.
The course then covers execution: statutory conditions and approval thresholds; the circumstances and path that can lead to a noncompetitive follow-on award; the consortium model used for many prototype OTs; the Agreements Officer and AOR roles; negotiating IP and data rights; and the judgment call of borrowing FAR/DFARS language into a non-FAR instrument.
This course is taught by Melinda Milheim, JD, who spent her federal career in the acquisition workforce. She served as a Contract Specialist, COR, and AOR for the U.S. Navy (and later a Contract Specialist for the Department of Health and Human Services / Indian Health Service), where she worked on more than $7.7 billion in federal contracts across major weapon-systems, RDT&E, IT, construction, OT/OTAs, and engineering contracts/agreements — including a tour on the Boeing F/A-18 and EA-18G Growler IPT. She draws on that experience, along with her law degree and MBA studies, to teach the why behind the how — so participants leave with sharper judgment, not just a stack of slides. An award-winning DAU/WarU (DAWIA and FAI) instructor, she has taught more than 1,000 federal acquisition workforce students across 20-plus agencies.
Best for:This course is for government and industry professionals who want to understand OTs / OTAs: what they are, when to use them, how they work, and how to use them well.
Format: Available as a one-day (8 CLPs/0.8 CEU, delivered in person or virtually. Phoenix Canyon issues every attendee a certificate of completion documenting the number of training hours as well as CEUs and CLPs earned, which eligible attendees may apply toward Continuous Learning or Professional Development requirements at their organization’s discretion. Phoenix Canyon is a DAU/WarU equivalent course provider.